News

Nov 21, 2024

Environmental watchdog granted permission to intervene in case about setting of housing energy efficiency standards by local authorities

Regulator the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has been granted permission by the Court of Appeal to intervene in a case which could clarify how Government departments should consider environmental issues in policy making.

Nov 20, 2024

Sixth Form Colleges Association launches legal challenge over Government decision to fund pay award for staff in schools but not colleges

The Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) has launched judicial review proceedings over a decision by the Department for Education to exclude colleges from this summer’s 5.5% school teacher pay award.

Nov 20, 2024

Directors of Children's Services criticise proposals to change rules on handling of SEND tribunal refusal appeals

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has described proposals by the Tribunal Procedure Committee to change the rules on the handling of so-called ‘refusal appeals’ as “undesirable” and “inappropriate”.

Nov 20, 2024

Family Presiding Judge for London to issue practice note to ensure “rigorous adherence” by legal practitioners to rules of court

The Family Presiding Judge for London has written to children law practitioners in London about compliance with the Public Law Outline (PLO), after observing that the capital is “struggling to achieve the change of culture that is required” by the relaunch.

Nov 19, 2024

Council failed looked after child with special educational needs because of “bewildering” lack of basic knowledge, Ombudsman finds

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has recommended Worcestershire Council pay a remedy of more than £11,000 after a child with special educational needs missed out on five and a half terms of education due to failures by the authority.

Nov 19, 2024

Children’s Commissioner urges major reduction in number of children deprived of their liberty

The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has called for “far fewer” children to be deprived of their liberty, and the introduction of a clear legislative and statutory framework in the small number of cases where such a step is necessary.

Nov 19, 2024

Watchdog voices concern over council resilience and levels of abuse in report on elections in 2024

The Electoral Commission has called for urgent and coordinated action to tackle harassment and intimidation faced by candidates at elections, as well as reforms to postal votes.

Nov 19, 2024

Law Commission consultation asks whether security of tenure for business tenancies “still fit for purpose”

The Law Commission has released its first consultation paper on the right to renew business tenancies under Part 2 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, also known as 'security of tenure'.

Nov 19, 2024

Council agrees to pay £50,000 in damages after unlawfully issuing care proceedings in relation to disabled child

A County Court judge has issued a declaration that Northumberland Council breached the rights of a disabled child under Article 8 of the European Court of Human Rights (the right to private and family life) after it unlawfully issued care proceedings.

Nov 19, 2024

Association of Directors of Children’s Services hails decision by ministers to end payment by results as “hugely positive step”

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has described Government plans to suspend payment by results as “a hugely positive step towards ensuring that the limited funds in the system are used in the best interest of children and families”.

Nov 19, 2024

High Court rejects judicial review over permanent exclusion for persistent breaches of school behaviour policy

A High Court judge has rejected a judicial review claim over a decision by a school governing body's disciplinary panel not to reinstate a teenage boy to his school following a permanent exclusion, which occurred as a result of “persistent breaches” of the school's behaviour policy.

Nov 18, 2024

SRA issues dedicated guidance to support in-house solicitors

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued a range of guidance materials to support the 34,500 plus solicitors working in-house across England and Wales.

Nov 18, 2024

Independent review into street tree felling to focus on governance and decision-making

Plymouth City Council has appointed three experts to an independent learning review panel charged with investigating "from a governance and legal perspective" a controversial decision to fell more than a hundred trees in the city centre.

Nov 18, 2024

Father fails in appeal in childcare case over subsequent diagnosis of autism

The Court of Appeal has rejected a father’s appeal against care and placement orders made in respect of his daughter, finding that while his subsequent diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) may have had a “bearing” on some of the risks identified in the case, the majority and the most…

Nov 18, 2024

Government unveils reforms intended to rebalance children’s social care system in favour of early intervention and crack down on profiteering

Care reforms set to be announced by the Government today (18 November) will aim to “rebalance” the children’s social care system in favour of early intervention, “giving every family the legal right to be involved in decisions made about children entering the care system”.

Nov 18, 2024

High Court refuses permission for judicial review over policy of Welsh council on second homes and short term lets

An application for judicial review of Gwynedd Council's implementation of new rules aimed at curbing second homes and short-term holiday lets has been dismissed by a High Court judge.

Nov 18, 2024

Borough council increases legal budget for landfill enforcement case to £1m

Officers at Newcastle-under-Lyme Council have recommended members boost the local authority's legal fund for an upcoming dispute over an odorous landfill by a further £400,000, taking the total to £1m.

Nov 18, 2024

Welsh Language Commissioner to procure next legal services framework

The Welsh Language Commissioner, Comisiynydd y Gymraeg, is to procure a four-year framework agreement for legal advice on a range of subjects and issues relevant to his statutory functions.

Nov 15, 2024

Thurrock fires gun on claim against 23 APSE member councils over £40m losses from solar farm investments

Thurrock Council has filed a multi-million pound claim against a representative group of 23 member councils of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), over what the unitary council alleges were "negligent" valuations of solar farm assets that it says led it to invest millions in bonds.

Nov 15, 2024

Institute of Licensing issues updated taxi licence suitability guidance for local authorities

The Institute of Licensing has published updated guidance for licensing authorities when considering the suitability of applicants and licensed holders for taxi and private hire driver, operator and vehicle proprietor licences.

Nov 15, 2024

Thinktank calls for taskforce to tackle “significant” challenges facing public sector AI procurement

The UK Government should form a national taskforce for procurement of AI in local government to bring together diverse perspectives and redesign the procurement landscape for AI in the public interest, the Ada Lovelace Institute has said.

Nov 15, 2024

Office for Place to be scrapped

The Government has decided to close the Office for Place and pass its responsibilities back to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Nov 15, 2024

Number of looked after children 4.5% higher than in 2020, with 83,630 children in care of councils

The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for “urgent” funding for children’s services, after figures released by the Department for Education yesterday (14 November) revealed there are 83,630 children in the care of councils.

Nov 14, 2024

Planning Inspectorate issues revised guidance on Statements of Common Ground

The Planning Inspectorate has updated its guidance on preparing Statements of Common Ground (SoCGs) used in appeals of council planning decisions.

Nov 14, 2024

National Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers and Institute of Licensing agree merger

The National Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers (NALEO) and the Institute of Licensing (IoL) have agreed in principle to unite to become a single professional body for licensing practitioners.

Nov 14, 2024

Government extends term of chair of equalities watchdog, starts process of recruiting successor

The Government has extended Baroness Falkner’s term as Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) by one year to 30 November 2025.

Nov 14, 2024

High Court judge dismisses appeal over rejection of cycling accident claim against council

The High Court has dismissed a man’s appeal against a judge’s decision to reject his claim for damages against Cornwall Council for personal injury sustained as a result of a bicycle accident.

Nov 14, 2024

Civil Justice Council working group publishes final report on procedure for determining mental capacity in civil proceedings

Courts should be provided with a ‘menu of options’ for decisions on whether participants in civil proceedings possess capacity.

Nov 14, 2024

Welsh housing associations could have to repay £50m in rent following test case over failure to provide electrical condition reports

Welsh housing associations could face bills totalling £50m after a Divisional Court ruled that rents need not have been paid during a period in which landlords withheld electrical condition reports from tenants, known in Wales as contract holders.

Nov 14, 2024

Council as pensions administrating authority fails in bid to wind up Luxembourg-based property fund

East Riding of Yorkshire Council has been told by the High Court that it cannot apply to wind up a property fund based in Luxembourg in which it had invested £20m.

Nov 14, 2024

High Court judge dismisses second legal challenge brought against council in tree felling row

A claim that Plymouth City Council breached an injunction in relation to its decision to fell more than a hundred trees in the city centre has been dismissed by a High Court judge.

Nov 14, 2024

Council secures partial closure orders covering three high-rise blocks

Leeds City Council has secured a set of partial closure orders in an attempt to keep three tower blocks free of drug-related crime and anti-social behaviour.

Nov 13, 2024

NHS Oversight Framework to be updated by next financial year to ensure performance is “properly scrutinised”: Health Secretary

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has said the NHS Oversight Framework, which sets out how trusts and integrated care boards are best monitored, will be updated by the next financial year to ensure performance is “properly scrutinised”.

Nov 13, 2024

City council refuses to fulfil Ombudsman remedies calling for payment to domestic abuse victim

Leicester City Council has refused to implement a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s recommendation that it pay a domestic abuse victim £1,300 after she and her family were forced to live in bed and breakfast accommodation for 13 weeks longer than the maximum six-week period.

Nov 13, 2024

North West council hit with £500,000 fine after death of dog walker

Cheshire East Council has been fined £500,000 after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the death of a dog walker in August 2020, killed by a falling tree, might have been avoided had the public area been better managed.

Nov 13, 2024

London borough refused permission to appeal in £1.6m Community Infrastructure Levy dispute

Lord Justice Lewison has refused Newham Council permission to appeal the High Court's dismissal of its judicial review application of HM Revenue & Custom’s (HMRC) decision that a floating hotel is not a building for Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) purposes.

Nov 13, 2024

High Court agrees to hear judicial review challenge over permission for redevelopment of former city zoo site

Law firm Leigh Day has said the High Court will hear a judicial review brought by objectors to the redevelopment of the former Bristol Zoo site.

Nov 13, 2024

Campaigners eye second legal challenge over traffic regulation order

Work is progressing on a bus gate project in Cambridge despite campaign group Friends of Mill Road Bridge 2 threatening further legal action over what it said was a decision taken for an improper financial motive.

Nov 12, 2024

City council launches consultation on 10% council tax rise

Bristol City Council has launched a consultation on the level of council tax that should be set for the financial year 2025/26, at a time when the authority is facing a “significant gap” in its forecasted budget.

Nov 12, 2024

Government sends ‘ministerial envoys’ into London borough following best value inspection

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has decided to send ministerial envoys into Tower Hamlets Council in light of a best-value inspection that revealed failures relating to governance, leadership, and culture.

Nov 12, 2024

Power to hold high street rental auctions to come into force on 2 December

Councils will have the power to hold high street rental auctions (HSRAs) from 2 December after secondary legislation was laid yesterday (11 November).

Nov 12, 2024

Costs to councils for providing care and support for working age adults could grow to reach £17bn by end of the decade: CCN

The cost of providing care for working age adults and life-long disabled people requiring social care is now “far outpacing” social care to the over 65s, analysis by County Councils Network (CCN) has found.

Nov 12, 2024

Peer review praises sea change in organisational culture at borough council but urges strengthening of ‘golden triangle’

Swindon Borough Council's monitoring officer should have a seat on the corporate management team in order to meet best practice guidance, a corporate peer review team has urged.

Nov 12, 2024

Cornwall Council to procure £12m legal framework agreement

Cornwall Council is to procure a legal framework agreement estimated to be worth up to £12m over four years.

Nov 12, 2024

Thousands of vulnerable young people placed in council care more than 20 miles from home due to “lack of available alternatives”

A third of vulnerable young people in council care had to be placed in accommodation miles from their home last year, research by the County Councils Network (CCN) has found.

Nov 12, 2024

Most landlords “still have work to do” to embed positive complaint culture: Housing Ombudsman

Some 95% of landlords have reported that following the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code has helped to embed a positive complaint handling culture, with 92% also reporting that it has helped them provide a more consistent approach to complaint handling.

Nov 12, 2024

Bird & Bird hires procurement specialist as partner in London

Law firm Bird & Bird has appointed procurement and public law specialist, Andrew Dean, as partner in its Commercial practice in London.

Nov 11, 2024

Consolidated legislative framework for licensing taxi drivers key for public safety, charity says

A personal safety charity has called for national minimum standards for licensing taxi and private hire vehicle drivers after finding at least 90 active licences were held by drivers with convictions for violent offences.

Nov 11, 2024

Council prosecutes pair after finding licensed taxi business used unlicensed taxi driver

Two men have been prosecuted by Lichfield District Council after licensing officers caught a licensed taxi company handing business to a driver without a taxi licence.

Nov 11, 2024

Orders protecting against risk of FGM should be “focused, targeted and proportionate” to specific risks established, says High Court judge

The High Court has discharged a Prohibited Steps Order (PSO) made to protect a now teenage girl against the risks of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), after finding “no evidence” of an ongoing risk of FGM to the girl, and finding that the order continued to have a “profound impact on her competing…

Nov 11, 2024

Elderly woman who said she broke elbow on defective pavement ordered to pay £20,000 over fraudulent claim

A 73-year-old woman has been ordered to pay almost £20,000 after making a fraudulent personal injury claim against Sunderland City Council.

Nov 11, 2024

Crown Court orders landlord behind “micro flats” conversion to pay £280k

A Crown Court judge has ordered a landlord to pay more than £280,000 in fines, confiscation order and costs after he ignored an enforcement notice by Ealing Council to return a home to its former condition.

Nov 08, 2024

Ministry rules out reissuing best value notice to council over trial of four-day working week

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will not reissue a best value notice issued to South Cambridgeshire District Council over its trial of a four-day working week, it has been confirmed.

Nov 08, 2024

Thurrock threatens to issue claim against 23 local authority members of APSE over valuation of solar assets

Thurrock Council is threatening to issue a claim against 23 member councils of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) over valuations the association provided to a failed solar farm business which Thurrock said led it to invest millions in bonds.

Nov 08, 2024

Family Court judge refuses application to name local authority and police force criticised in earlier judgment

A judge sitting in the Family Court has rejected an application by a media organisation for a council and a police force involved in care proceedings to be named, in a case where the authorities were found to be at fault for their actions.

Nov 08, 2024

Council worker who objected to pronouns policy ordered to pay £12k in costs after losing employment tribunal

A council worker who protested against his local authority employer's pronouns policy has been ordered to pay £12,000 in costs after his claim of unfair dismissal was dismissed in the Employment Tribunal.

Nov 07, 2024

Supreme Court agrees to hear test case on appropriate assessment against backdrop of nutrient neutrality issues

The Supreme Court has granted permission to appeal over whether the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 ("the Habitats Regulations"), properly interpreted, required an "appropriate assessment" before a local planning authority decided whether to discharge conditions on the…

Nov 07, 2024

Memorial fund honouring Suki Binjal to be set up to help young aspiring lawyers overcome social barriers

A fund is to be established in memory of Suki Binjal to aid aspiring young lawyers who need help to overcome social barriers to their progression.

Nov 07, 2024

Unit Chambers strengthens family offering with three barristers including former in-house advocate at city council

Unit Chambers has bolstered its family law, child protection and Court of Protection offering with the arrival of three barristers.

Nov 07, 2024

Ombudsman outlines learning from cases where councils have taken “too long” to put support in place for adoptive families

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has highlighted key learning points from a number of cases where councils have delayed responding to requests from adoptive families to help with support post-adoption.

Nov 07, 2024

Select committee to hold short inquiry into recent rise in rough sleeping

The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee has launched a short-inquiry into rough sleeping, “looking at the causes of rough sleeping, why it has been on the rise in recent years, and examining potential solutions”.

Nov 07, 2024

Attorney General issues amended guidance for government lawyers on legal risk

The Attorney General, Lord Hermer KC, has issued amended guidance for assessing legal risk across government, which confirms the government's commitment to comply with legal obligations arising under domestic and international law.

Nov 07, 2024

Wildlife rescuer who kept 16 foxes on property wins odour abatement notice dispute

A magistrates' court has found that a wildlife rescuer was not guilty of breaching an abatement notice issued by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) over odour nuisances from foxes she looked after on her property.

Nov 07, 2024

Adopted children should have more opportunity to keep in touch with birth families unless it is unsafe: Public Law Working Group

A report by the Public Law Working Group (PLWG) has highlighted the need for “wholesale reform” to the adoption process, including a change in face to face contact between adopted children and birth families, and the development of a national strategy for adoption by consent.

Nov 07, 2024

Updated ministerial code enshrines Nolan principles and sets new rules on gifts and hospitality

The Prime Minister has updated the Ministerial Code to include the Seven Principles of Public Life, new transparency requirements and clearer principles governing the acceptance of gifts and hospitality.

Nov 06, 2024

London borough concedes judicial review over proposed closure of “vital” children’s centres

Hackney Council has decided to settle by consent a judicial review challenge relating to the proposed closure of two local children’s centres, days before the final hearing was due to take place.

Nov 06, 2024

More than 80% of councils on course to overspend adult social care budgets: ADASS Autumn Survey

Four out of five councils (81%) are on course to overspend their adult social care budget in the current financial year, up from 72% in 2023/24, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has found.

Nov 06, 2024

Former monitoring officer at borough council failed to challenge chief executive on massive borrowing that preceded section 114 report, auditors say

Woking Borough Council's former monitoring officer failed to challenge the former chief executive officer and former s151 officer over decisions to borrow large sums of money with no credible plan for repayment, a public interest report on the council's governance arrangements has concluded.

Nov 06, 2024

Government reforms to Mental Health Act to include introduction of statutory care and treatment plans and end to “inappropriate detention” of autistic people

Reforms to the “outdated” Mental Health Act will introduce statutory care and treatment plans, end the use of police and prison cells to place people experiencing a mental health crisis, and end the “inappropriate detention” of autistic people and people with learning disabilities.

Nov 06, 2024

Council secures interim injunction in bid to keep affordable homes subject to section 106 agreement

The High Court has granted an interim injunction requiring a set of flats to be used as affordable housing after Westminster City Council argued a property owner must honour a section 106 agreement.

Nov 06, 2024

Government to review upper limit on Disabled Facilities Grant after judicial review settled

The Government has agreed to review the limit on grants to fund specialist adaptations to disabled people’s homes, following a legal challenge brought by a family left unable to meet their six-year-old disabled child’s needs.

Nov 06, 2024

Analysis of ‘Housing First’ pilots reveals vast majority of individuals successfully retained their tenancies

An evaluation of the ‘Housing First’ pilots has confirmed a substantial improvement in the housing retention rate among participants with multiple and complex needs, and suggested that the programme has delivered value for money.

Nov 05, 2024

High Court judge refuses to ministerial bid to stay judicial review claims over Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024

The High Court has refused an application by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to stay three judicial review claims challenging various provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.

Nov 05, 2024

Borough council takes "unusual" decision to build school

Hampshire County Council has established a steering group and is seeking a "step in clause" as part of a section 106 agreement in order to oversee Eastleigh Borough Council's "unusual" decision to build a primary school as part of a 2,500-home development.

Nov 05, 2024

More must be done to ensure unpaid carers are “proactively identified” and informed of right to carers’ needs assessment: Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

Although carers in Wales are legally entitled to a needs assessment if they appear to have needs for support or are likely to do so in the future, only 2.8% of carers across four local authorities in Wales have had their needs assessed, a report by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has found.

Nov 05, 2024

Number of remedies required by Housing Ombudsman rises 329% in single year

The Housing Ombudsman called on social landlords to provide three times as many remedies in 2023/24 (at 21,740) as in the previous 12 months.

Nov 04, 2024

Local Government Association to host focus groups ahead of remote meetings consultation

The Local Government Association (LGA) is seeking councillors and officers to take part in focus groups to discuss the new government consultation on remote attendance and proxy voting at local authority meetings.

Nov 04, 2024

Contract notice issued for re-procurement of £35m national legal services framework for police bodies

The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) has issued a contract notice for the re-procurement of a national framework for legal services to police forces and Police and Crime Commissioners.

Nov 04, 2024

"Considerable uncertainty" around number of buildings requiring cladding remediation, National Audit Office warns

The scale of the cladding crisis has "proved much bigger than the government initially understood", and up to 60% of buildings with dangerous cladding remain to be identified, a National Audit Office (NAO) report has suggested.

Nov 04, 2024

Inclusive education in London schools “vital” for young people with SEND

Ensuring London’s schools are ‘genuinely inclusive’ is vital to protect the success of schools in the capital as the number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) grows, London Councils has warned.

Nov 01, 2024

Council makes fresh High Court application for demolition of building following “lack of compliance” from site owner

North Northamptonshire Council has applied to the High Court for the rights to access a site to carry out the demolition of what it claims is an “unsafe” building.

Nov 01, 2024

Council appoints barristers ahead of landfill odours legal action

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has appointed Jeremy Phillips KC and Horatio Waller, both of Francis Taylor Building Chambers, for its legal action against the operators of an odorous landfill site.

Nov 01, 2024

Council secures fines for mail forwarding company in ‘first of its kind’ prosecution

Islington Council has successfully prosecuted a mail forwarding business that accepted fake identification and failed to keep proper records of its customers, in what is thought to be the first prosecution of its kind.

Nov 01, 2024

Council admits planning enforcement backlog with 170 cases more than four years old creates risk of immunity

A planning officer at Dorset Council has warned that the council may not be able to enforce alleged planning breaches with 170 cases more than four years old.

Oct 31, 2024

Select committee launches inquiry into experiences of children in temporary accommodation

In its first inquiry under this parliament, the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee is to scrutinise the experiences of children and families in temporary accommodation and consider how temporary housing could be improved.

Oct 31, 2024

Councils urged to take “proportionate, common-sense approach” to household waste offenders

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has urged councils to consider the “whole range of powers” available to them when tackling waste disposal issues, after finding examples of councils taking an “overly zealous approach” to enforcement.

Oct 31, 2024

Appeal judges reiterate that it is for the court – not local authorities or any other person – to determine in adoption cases whether there should be ongoing contact with birth family

The Court of Appeal has allowed a local authority’s appeal against a judge’s refusal to make placement orders in respect of two young children.

Oct 31, 2024

Secretary of State defends High Court challenge to grant by inspector of permission for schemes providing 721 homes

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities did not act unlawfully by failing to take account of a planning report published only after the inquiry concerned closed, though before his decision.

Oct 31, 2024

Integrated care board breached duty to provide lawful health care plan: High Court

North Central London Integrated Care Board was in breach of its duty to ensure a severely disabled boy has a lawful health care plan, the High Court has found.

Oct 31, 2024

Yorkshire council is first to receive top grade for consumer standards from Regulator of Social Housing after inspection

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council has become the first local authority to receive a C1 grading – the highest possible – following an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) against its new consumer standards, which were introduced in April this year.

Oct 31, 2024

Court of Appeal urges mediation as council seeks repayment of housing benefit recipients were not entitled to

The Court of Appeal has urged Tendring District Council and a couple it is pursuing for dishonest housing benefit claims to consider mediation to resolve a lengthy dispute.

Oct 30, 2024

Autumn Budget 2024: reaction from the sector

Local Government Lawyer rounds up the reaction from the sector to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Budget 2024.

Oct 30, 2024

“The last thing the country and local communities need”: District councils hit out at prospect of local government reorganisation

District councils have reacted angrily to the prospect of wholesale local government reorganisation after the Government said today it was drawing up an English Devolution White Paper that would set out its plans.

Oct 30, 2024

English Devolution White Paper to set out how councils will “move to simpler structures”, Autumn Budget reveals

The Government is drawing up an English Devolution White Paper that will set out more detail on its devolution plans, including on “working with councils to move to simpler structures that make sense for their local areas”.

Oct 30, 2024

Autumn Budget 2024: Key measures

Local Government Lawyer rounds up some of the key announcements and policy measures in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Budget 2024 affecting the sector.

Oct 30, 2024

FOI requests made by blogger to council not vexatious, Tribunal rules

An individual who has contributed to the Bexley Council is Bonkers blog made Freedom of Information requests that were neither vexatious nor unreasonable, the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) Information Rights has found.

Oct 30, 2024

Reporting pilot extension to include public and private law cases before magistrates

The family court reporting pilot will extend to include public and private law cases before magistrates in all 19 current pilot areas from 4 November.

Oct 30, 2024

Standards watchdog marks 30th anniversary of Nolan Committee with report urging continued articulation of value of Seven Principles of Public Life

Successfully implementing the Nolan Principles “requires ongoing investment in maintaining the quality of the wider public culture", according to the author of a report commissioned by the Committee on Standards in Public Life to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Nolan Committee.

Oct 29, 2024

Family justice system “lags far behind” other public services in terms of data availability and quality, Nuffield FJO warns

While professionals are working to improve data and its supporting infrastructure, the family justice system “lags far behind” other public services in terms of data availability and quality, a report by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO) has claimed.

Oct 29, 2024

Council secures injunction after developer fails to build-out affordable homes

Bolsover District Council has secured an interim injunction against a developer prohibiting them from building, selling or leasing any more properties on a development after the council claimed the developer had not built enough affordable homes.

Oct 29, 2024

Government to allocate £1.4bn for school rebuilding and £44m to support kinship and foster carers in Autumn Budget

The Government has announced its plans to commit £1.4 billion to ensure the delivery of the existing School Rebuilding Programme, alongside funding for children’s social care, breakfast clubs and early years childcare.

Oct 29, 2024

Legal challenge issued over Secretary of State approval of incinerator plans

Campaigners have issued a legal challenge against a proposed waste incineration development on the Isle of Portland that was initially rejected by Dorset Council.

Oct 29, 2024

Delivery authority for restoration of Palace of Westminster to appoint legal adviser on planning and consents

The Restoration & Renewal Delivery Authority, which was established in 2020 for the purpose of restoring the Grade I listed Palace of Westminster, is seeking to appoint a provider of specialist legal services in the field of legal planning and consents.

Oct 28, 2024

Supreme Court refuses permission for appeal of ruling on deregistration of town and village greens

The Supreme Court has this month refused an application for permission to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s judgment in a dispute over the deregistration of town and village greens (TVGs).

Oct 28, 2024

High Court dismisses challenge over Government climate change plan

The High Court has rejected a judicial review challenge of the Government's plan to adapt to the impacts of climate change, known as the Third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3).

Oct 28, 2024

Review led by leading planning barrister sets out recommendations for speeding up handling of legal challenges to major infrastructure projects

Claimants should have fewer ‘bites at the cherry’ when seeking permission for judicial review of development consent orders (DCOs) made under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime, an independent review by leading planning barrister Lord Charles Banner KC has recommended.

Oct 28, 2024

Chancellor commits to five-year rent settlement, further £500m for Affordable Homes Programme

The Government is to consult on a new five-year social housing rent settlement aimed at giving the sector more long-term certainty on funding.

Oct 28, 2024

Legal duty on employers to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment comes into force

Employers now have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees and create a “safe working environment”.

Oct 28, 2024

Local government needs to "do better" on data breaches, Information Commissioner says

The Information Commissioner, John Edwards, has urged councils to do more to reduce the number of data breaches and improve data protection for people in vulnerable situations.

Oct 28, 2024

Care Quality Commission calls for “substantial intervention” into Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards system

Too many people are waiting too long for a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards authorisation, despite multiple examples of local authorities trying their best to reduce backlogs, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has warned.

Oct 28, 2024

Council refused permission for appeal of tribunal order requiring it to publish redacted report

Havering Council has been refused permission to appeal a First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) order that it publish a historic self-assessment submitted as part of a Race Equality, Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion (READI) review undertaken by the Local Government Association.

Oct 28, 2024

High Court orders council to treat asylum seeker in accordance with claimed age until further assessment carried out

The High Court has granted interim relief requiring Kent County Council to treat an asylum seeker in accordance with his claimed age under the Children Act 1989, pending determination of his age or further order.

Oct 28, 2024

High Court issues jail sentences for pair who built access point onto A road

A High Court judge has handed jail sentences to a man and a woman who built an access point onto an A road without planning permission.

Oct 24, 2024

Rayner announces consultations on remote meetings and tougher standards regime

The Government has announced plans to consult on allowing councillors to attend meetings remotely, as well as on changing the standards regime to give councils the power to suspend members who have breached their local authority's code of conduct.

Oct 24, 2024

SEND system “financially unsustainable” and “in urgent need of reform”, spending watchdog warns

The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned that despite funding rising by 58% in the last decade, the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system is “financially unsustainable” and “in urgent need of reform”.

Oct 24, 2024

Procurement group YPO names seven firms to £2bn legal services framework

One of the UK’s largest public sector procurement organisations, YPO, has appointed seven suppliers, including a council-controlled company, to its first legal services framework.

Oct 24, 2024

Court of Appeal rejects appeal by mother over inclusion in pool of perpetrators

The Court of Appeal has rejected a mother’s appeal against a judge’s decision to place her in the “pool of perpetrators” of injuries inflicted on her youngest child, after the judge was unable to make a finding on the balance of probabilities whether the injuries were inflicted by her or her…

Oct 24, 2024

LATEST HEADLINES